Beverage cooler



Aug. 13, 1940. 15. A. MATOT 2,211,428

BEVERAGE COOLER Filed July 8, 1938 ZZa/zw 0/ 1 Ju 1 ///af01',

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNETED S'i'ATEii i i i'i'ENT @FWCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a beverage cooler or refrigerator containing packages or casks and is more particularly directed to a type arranged for compactness, while hav- 5 ing the bar proper unobstructed, and with means for facilitating the insertion and Withdrawal of the package or cask from which the beverage is directly dispensed.

- In the construction of bars and back-bars of various types, due to the large space which they occupy, the bars are usually set relatively close to the back-bar, permitting in some instances approximately 30 inches between them. It has been a very difiicult task to insert packages or casks into beverage coolers due to the small space permitted between the bar and back-bar, and when lifted into position, it was impossible to hold on to the package, therefore, it'would drop into position in the cooler and cause the water therein to splash and the weight of the package damaging the cooler. And it is to overcome these objections that the invention appertains.

In my improved beverage cooler, I employ horizontally swingable doors which may be opened substantially aligned and fiat with the cooler and a rocking and supporting means pivotally carried on the sill of the door whereby the rocking and supporting means may be swung to receiving or inserting position in a substantially vertical plane and to require relatively small space for its swinging movement.

The chief objects of the present invention are the provision of a beverage cooler which is simple in construction, compact, strong and durable, and having compartments which closely surround the packages or casks thereby requiring a lesser area to be cooled by the refrigeration contained in the cooler.

40 Another object isthe provision of package or cask supporting means permitting of a turning movement of the package or cask to tap the same while in the cooler.

A still further object is the provision of a bev- 5 erage cooler having compartments with their top walls in close proximity with the package or cask and with a doorway of approximately one-half the height of the package or cask permitting of a greater amount of'water to be used for refrigeration and through which doorway, the package is inserted and with rocking and supporting means for facilitating the inversion of the package or cask.

Another object is the provision of a cooler wherein the faucets are tapped directly to the packages or casks without the use of coils.

And a further object is the provision of a package or cask rest permitting the package or cask g to be partially inserted and retained in that position in the cooler While tapping packages or casks having bung openings positioned centrally thereof. When tapped, it is only necessary to tilt the package or cask slightly forward to release the rest and permit the package or cask to 10 be positioned in the cooler.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved beverage cooler, illustrating in dotted lines the position a package or cask will occupy in the 15 initial step of placing it in one of the compartments of the cooler.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure showing the package or cask in dotted lines and the door 20 of the compartment closed.

Figure 3 is a partial plan sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation of the rest for limiting the movement of the pack- 5 age or cask, and for holding the same in tilted position While tapping.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of rocking and supporting means having the package or cask rest carried thereby. 30

The reference numeral l0 designates the cooler or refrigerator as a whole, which, as shown, is provided at each of its ends with a compartment l i which extends vertically from the floor to the top E2 of the cooler. The front wall 13 of the '35 cooler extends vertically from the floor to the top 52 of the cooler, while what may be termed as the rear wall M of the cooler extends a substantially lesser distance, having hingedly fixed thereto, a pair of doors l5 and I6, respectively, 4 that inclose the compartments ll. Interposed between the compartments is a cooling chamber H which is arranged to receive ice or other cooling medium, and which is separated from the compartments ii by a wire mesh l8 on each side 5 thereof. This mesh [8 serves to retain the ice in the cooling chamber i'l while permitting the water to flow outwardly on each side thereof into the compartments. Above the doors I5 and I6, the cooler is provided with L-shaped portions i9 50 and 213, respectively, which serve as drainboards 2i and 22, respectively, and on which drainboards drinking glasses may be placed out of sight 01' the patron, and which boards are inclined to direct the water to a center drain 23 positioned in 55 the top portion of. the cooling chamber l1. Above this cooling chamber I! and fixed to the rear portion of the top of the cooler I2 is a plate 24 to which a pair of faucets 25 are secured and each of which faucets are directly connected to a beverage package or cask 26 (shown in dotted lines Figs. 1, 2 and 3).

As thus far described, it will be noted that when viewed in side elevation, the cooler is somewhat of L-shaped formation having the top of the cooler I 2 forming the bar proper and the drainboards 2| and 22 of the L-shaped portions l9 and 20 positioned between the top of the cooler l2, and the doors l and I6 serving with the top E2 of the cooler to inclose the compartments. The L-shaped formation of the drainboards serves to reduce the size of the compartments H, which is a favorable condition requiring the least amount of refrigeration to cool the same while the drainboards also serve as rests on which the drinking glasses are placed out of sight of the patrons and are readily accessible.

As the compartments are each identical in construction, it is thought that a description of one will sufiice for a description of all.

In order to insert a package or cask 25, it is only necessary to remove a small face .plate 24a positioned over the cooling chamber ll and to open the door, as for example Fig. 1, and to then remove the L-shaped portion is which gives the operator access to the interior of the compartment H. The rocking and supporting means 2'! which is normally in the compartment, is then gripped and swung until its top end hook portion 28 contacts and rests on the floor outwardly of the cooler. This rocking and supporting means 21 comprises a rigid bar 21a formed to provide at its top end, a hook portion 28 and at its lower end a right-angled portion 29 and an ofiset 30 intermediate its length. The bar is secured at 3! to a plate 32 which is provided with brackets 33 into which a pair of oppositely directed fingers 34 enter, and which fingers are secured in the sill -35 of the doorway and serve with brackets 33 to form a hinge for the rocking and supporting means. Adjacent each hook portion 28, the rocking and supporting means 2'! is provided with a guide 36 which serves to retain the package or cask in position against rocking movements thereon.

In the operation of inserting a package or cask into the cooler, one of the doors 15 or 15 is swung to open position and the rocking and supporting means 21 is manually swung on its hinge 33-34 until the top end hook portion 28 thereof is in resting position on the floor, and at which time, it is in receiving position for the package or cask. When in this position, the rocking and supporting means 27 is substantially in a vertical position permitting of the easy passage of the package or cask 26 between the cooler H! and the back-bar (not shown), and also permitting the rolling of the package with the top portion thereof at the bottom, so that it may be easily set over the top hook portion 28 and then tilted slightly until its side engages the bar 27a and the guide 36. This slight movement of the package or cask 25 causes the free end thereof, which in this instance is at the top, to move under the right-angled portion 29 of the bar 2701. and it is then only necessary to exert a relatively light upward pull on the package or cask 2t to cause the same to swing with the rocking and supporting means 21 on the hinge 33-34 until the package or cask is inserted in its respective compartment I I.

The insertion of the package or cask 26 inverts the same and its top portion is then exposed to the operator where he may easily tap the package. It will be noted that during the insertion of the package 26, a complete control thereof is had, whereby it may be swung into the water for cooling the same without splashing, as the package is at all times retained between the hook 28 and the right-angled portion 29 of the rocking and supporting means 2'1.

After the package is in position, it may be easily tapped and pivotally turned while retained by the rocking and supporting means 21. In order to easily turn the package, the floor of each compartment I l is provided with a plurality of radially directed fixed guide portions 31, and these guide portions serve as rests on which the package or cask 26 is placed when set in position in the cooler. While the package or cask 26 is being manually turned or pivoted in its compartment 3 l, the lower end thereof is then in contact at three points with the guide members 37 assuring a perfect and steady rest for the package and thereby permitting of the circulation of water around and under the package.

As the rocking and supporting means 27 is pivotally supported on the door sill of the cooler at approximately midway of its length, it is possible to permit of a water line of approximately one-third of the height of the package or cask 25 and thereby assisting in the cooling thereof.

to permit of the swinging movements of the package, and when replaced, these L-shaped portions it or 2i? will be in close proximity with the top portion of the package, so as to reduce the space above the water line and provide a lesser area to be cooled to retain a given temperature.

When inserting packages or casks having center bungs, provision has been made to facilitate the tapping of the same. The cask 2G is placed on the hook portion 28 in the manner above described, and a rest designated as a whole as 38 is manually moved into position to permit of a given swinging movement of the package or cask so as to retain the same at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to its normal vertical position, whereby the operator may easily tap the package and then complete its insertion into the cooler. The rest 33 comprises a relatively rectangular member 39 pivoted at 40 to the inside face of the front wall l3 of the cooler. Approximately intermediate its length, the member 39 has a member 4! pivoted thereto at 42. This member 4! is of channel formation to embrace the member as on three sides and is provided with an integral car 16. This rest 38 is normally urged in one direction out of the path of movement of the package by a tension spring 44 which has one end secured thereto and its other end secured at 45 to the end wall of the cooler.

In its operation, the rest 38 is manually swung against the tension of the spring 44 to a vertical position and the channel-shaped member 4| is then pulled outwardly to rock on its pivot 42 which carries the integral ear 46 thereof over a pin 53 fixed in the front wall l3 of the cooler. This pin 43 retains the rest 38 in a vertical locked position against the tension of its spring 44 and the member ll in the path of the lower portion of the package or cask 26, so that, as the package or cask is swung to insert the same into position, the lower edge portion thereof will engage the member 4! and cause the same to rock on its pivot 6-2 and carry the ear 46 out of the path of the pin 33. During this time, the friction of the package will retain the rest 38 released, but in position to prevent the package or cask from being fully inserted within the compartment H. When in this positon, the operator may tap the package, and when tapped, the package or cask it is then tilted forwardly, slightly away from the rest 38 which permits the spring M to urge the rest 38 to normal position out of the path of the package, and at which time, the package may be inserted in the compartment and manually turned or pivoted to a suitable position for aligning the connections for drawing the beverage.

In Figure 5, a modified form of rocking and supporting means 50 is shown in which the rightangled portion 5! at the lower end thereof has a disk 52 pivotally attached thereto at 53. In this construction, the disk 52 is normally over the top of the package when the same is positioned on the rocking and supporting means 50 and when swung into position within the compartment 1 l, the right-angled portion 5| rests on the floor of the cooler and the package then rests on the disk 52 and may be bodily turned or pivoted with the disk on the angled formation 5!.

I claim:

1. A beverage cooler of the character described, having a water holding compartment provided with a doorway terminating at a distance above the bottom of the compartment, a door hinged for horizontal movement and closure of said doorway, a rockable package supporting means pivotally mounted in each doorway and having means at its ends for engaging the ends of a package whereby to swing said package from outwardly of the cooler to a vertical position within said cooler, and a rest in the compartment arranged to be manually positioned in the path of movement of the package for holding the package partially inserted, and means coaoting with the rest whereby said rest is moved out of the path of the package when the package is rocked away from said rest.

27 In a cooler of the character described having a water holding compartment provided with a doorway terminating at a distance above the bottom of the compartment, a door hinged to the casing of the doorway for horizontal movement and closure of said doorway, a rockable supporting means pivotally mounted on the sill of the doorway, said rockable supporting means having engaging means at each of its ends whereby to engage and retain a package for rocking movements with the rockable supporting means, a rest within said compartment, said rest being pivotally supported and normally spring-urged out of the path of rocking movements of the package, means on said rest for manually locking the same in the path of movement of said package for holding said package in partially inserted position in the compartment, said means being released when engaged by the package and spring-urged to normal position when the package is slightly rocked away from said means, said means when restored permitting of the insertion of the package within the compartment.

3. In a cooler of the character described having a water holding compartment provided with a doorway, a door hinged to the casing of the doorway for horizontal movement and closure of said doorway, a rockable supporting means pivotally mounted on the sill of the doorway, said rockable supporting means having means for engaging the ends of a package, a rest pivotally supported in the compartment and normally spring-urged out of the path of rocking movements of the package, and package engaging lock means on said rest arranged to be normally adjusted to lock the rest in the path of movement of said package, said means being released when engaged by the package and retaining the package in partially inserted position in the compartment, the package when tilted permitting said rest to be spring-urged to normal position for the free insertion of the package.

. DUFFY A. MATOT. 

